October – 2013 – Frugal Novice

Take Pizza to the Next Level with Classico Sauces {GIVEAWAY!}

Note: We received products and a gift card to purchase pizza supplies to facilitate this review. The items for the giveaway were also provided. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

We love pizza in our family. It’s something we all enjoy (even E!) and that’s saying a lot when we have a picky eater in our house. Since it’s National Pizza Month we decided to celebrate with a pizza party! We had some of our good friends over for dinner and everyone got to have their own pizza with the sauce and toppings of their choice. Having topping selections is nothing new, but we were excited to throw different sauces into the mix. We tried three different Classico sauces:

CLASSICO Traditional Pizza Sauce (Better Homes and Gardens 2013 Best New Product Award winner)
CLASSICO Fire Roasted Pizza Sauce (this was Brian’s favorite)
CLASSICO Creamy White Pizza Sauce (new, and not available in stores until Spring 2014 – SOOO SOOO good!)

We will definitely be purchasing all three of these again in the future, especially for make-your-own-pizza parties. It adds a whole new layer of flavor and customization to the process and makes the finished product that much better. Here are a few of our creations:

Cheese pizza for J, our picky one – with fire-roasted sauce, though, for a little extra oomph.

An olive pepperoni pizza with the fire-roasted sauce, and then a pepperoni with the traditional sauce.

C, our 4-year-old, picked pepperoni, olives and onions for his toppings, and I went with a selection that I looooove but that is a little aromatic…

Sauteed onions and garlic. Delicious!!

You’re totally in the mood for pizza now, aren’t you? Well, let me help you out with that – one lucky winner will win THREE vouchers for free Classico pizza sauce, so you’ll be well-stocked to make awesome pizzas of your own!

As I mentioned above, this giveaway is for THREE free jars of Classico pizza sauce. This giveaway is open to all U.S. & Canadian residents ages 18+.Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Monday, November 11. By entering this giveaway you agree to the Official Rules.

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Opioid Dependence {AKA Painkiller Addiction} Awareness

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

Growing up I can remember going to D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) programs at school, being taught all about the dangers of drugs. There are still–thankfully–many conversations going on teaching youth to avoid using drugs, but there is another source of danger regarding drugs that many people are unaware of until they’re personally affected by it: opioid dependence.

Opioids, which are prescription painkillers, are most often prescribed legally and legitimately for people recovering from something painful such as surgery or an injury. However, it can become a slippery slope very easily in which people become addicted to the painkillers. I’ve always been a cautious person, and after the births of my three children I just took over-the-counter medicine for pain relief because I did not want to take anything I might become addicted to. Many of you have probably heard of celebrities like Matthew Perry from Friends going into rehab for his addiction to painkillers.

If you or someone you know are dealing with opioid dependence, you’re not alone. This is a major health issue that affects approximately two million Americans. There ARE resources out there for you to take advantage of, like the site Turn to Help. It can help you learn how to seek treatment, which can be a scary thing to do. It’s so important to act now, because it can really take a toll on your health.

45% of adults view opioid dependence as a psychological problem rather than a physical illness, but it is a chronic medical disease that actually affects the brain and fools it into thinking that the opioid is necessary for survival. 98% of doctors say that it is treatable, and research shows that treatment can benefit from a combination of medication and behavioral changes.

For more information on opioid dependence, check out this helpful infographic below. And again, be sure to check out Turn to Help for valuable information on how to get treatment.

Easy Pumpkin Decorating Ideas – Bring Some Style to Your Halloween Decor!

Carving pumpkins is always a fun idea in theory, but once I get started with it I always remember what a HUGE task it can be. Thankfully there are plenty of other ways you can decorate your pumpkins that don’t involve hollowing out pumpkin goo, and they bring a new level of creativity and fun to your Halloween decor. Click each image below to go to the step-by-step how-to instructions on Hometalk.com, who graciously provided these ideas for me to share with you.

Word Find Pumpkin – so simple and easy! Just paint your pumpkin with chalkboard paint, add letter stickers, and put out chalk for your friends to have fun at a dinner party.

Plaid Pumpkin – I love this homey, cozy look, and you could use a variety of colors to personalize this for your style.

House Number Pumpkin – This is definitely a personalized item, and such an elegant way to add to your porch decor.

Color-Drip Pumpkin – All you need is crayons and a hairdryer for this colorful, artistic look!

Chevron Pumpkin – I couldn’t get over how easy this one is to make – I’d love to do it with black paint for a really graphic statement!

Look No Further: Adorable Halloween Costumes from Kohl’s!

Note: I was not compensated in any way for this post. I love the costumes Kohl’s has to offer and thought it would be fun to share them with you!

I love Halloween more than ever now that we have kids. They love picking the perfect costume, and it’s a great time to be creative! Sometimes it can be hard to find just what you’re looking for, but I’ve discovered that Kohl’s has a huge selection that makes one-stop shopping for everyone’s costumes an easy feat. With the holiday right around the corner, I had to share some of my favorites with you! For each one, click the image if you’d like to see it on the Kohl’s site.